


Opening Up

by Huntress79



Category: Black Panther (2018), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Bucky Barnes & Shuri Friendship, Gen, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Not Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Compliant, Post-Black Panther (2018)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-02
Updated: 2020-05-02
Packaged: 2021-03-02 06:08:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23966665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Huntress79/pseuds/Huntress79
Summary: Wakanda’s not the only thing that opens up to the world in the wake of Killmonger’s actions and the fallout between Captain America and Iron Man.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & Shuri, James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers (background), Shuri & T'Challa (Marvel)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 24
Collections: Gen Freeform Exchange2020





	Opening Up

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lionessvalenti](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lionessvalenti/gifts).



> written for GenFreeformExchange and lionessvalenti. Set after the mid-credit scene in “Black Panther”, ignoring all other movies afterwards. Enjoy! I might write a second part, set after them breaking the programming in Bucky's head.

*********************

In the end, the image she had about the man who apparently had killed her father in Vienna didn’t fit the man she saw lying in the hospital ward of the palace. Not even a little bit.

When T’Challa had radioed it in that he was en route, and had guests, Shuri never, ever would have thought that her brother would bring two international fugitives to their corner of the world. But here they were, and while Captain Rogers was visibly torn between staying at Bucky’s side and go back out there and get the rest of his team back from wherever they were, the former assassin was just a silent, brooding presence.

Not that Shuri couldn’t sympathize with him. Quite the contrary, she now had a better understanding for why Captain Rogers risked everything to protect his longtime friend. Heck, if the tables were turned and she would have to protect her mother, her brother, or even Nakia, Shuri would do it in a heartbeat. These people were her family, and apparently, the same could be applied to Barnes and Rogers.

And yet, a part of her was still afraid of the former (?) assassin. According to both her brother and Captain Rogers, there was a sequence of words that could trigger him back into that persona, and while Shuri couldn’t name anyone in Wakanda who spoke Russian well enough to pronounce them correctly, she also understood the urgency in T’Challa’s voice when he told her and her team to break the hold HYDRA still had over Barnes that way, as soon as possible.

In the first couple of days after an emergency surgery to save what was left of James’ left arm, including the neural interfaces, he spent most of his waking time with one or more of their mental doctors, but so far, they were absolutely clueless on where to even begin freeing Bucky from the programming.

Watching them leaving his room, quietly discussing in a manner that spoke more of giving up the task at all than anything else, Shuri made a quick decision. As Wakanda’s chief engineer, she had to get the proper measurements for his new arm anyway, so why not killing two birds with one stone and get to know their longtime guest a bit better?

“Armed” with her tablet, another one for James, and a deep bowl full of fruits, Shuri finally entered the room - only to be stopped dead in her tracks when her eyes met James’.

“Oh… oh, it’s you, Your Highness,” he whispered, and even in the otherwise silent room, Shuri had to strain her ears to hear the words.

“Yep, just little ol’ me,” she quipped, suppressing the urge to ask him if he was expecting someone else. Captain Rogers was, to pretty much everyone in the palace involved in finding a cure for the former assassin, either the proverbial red cloth or the (also proverbial) elephant in the room.

“Well, as long as it not another one of your mind docs,” Bucky said while tapping the side of his head, “I’m okay with anyone.”

“Oh, I get it, and I’ll have a talk with the head of the department to reschedule and reorganize their appointments with you,” Shuri assured him while sitting down next to the bed. “I also brought you some fruits…,” she trailed off when she saw the half-astonished, half-shocked expression on his face.

“Sergeant… James, is everything okay?”

“You shouldn’t waste any food on me. I mean, I probably cut into your country’s food reserve, or something like that,...”

“Hold on, James,” Shuri cut in, keeping her eyes trained on him until his gaze locked with hers. “First off, these fruits,” she pointed at the bowl, “are harvested around here, and we had quite a good year in terms of agriculture, so we have more than enough. And second, you’re not cutting into any reserve with anything, you hear me?”

At long last, Bucky nodded, and in that moment, Shuri was more reminded of a small, scared child than a feared assassin.

“Why?”

“Why what?”

“Why are you all doing this all?” Bucky made a gesture, pointing at the medical devices around him, and the room in general. “Sooner or later, you, or better your brother, will hand me over to whoever thinks has the right authority to be the judge of me and decide how or if I’m allowed to spend another day living.”

“No, no, no. Believe me, James, when I tell you that my brother, and with him all of the Dora Milaje, will fight for you,...”

“...but only because otherwise, the rest of the world would learn the truth about your country, right?” Bucky challenged.

“Yes,” Shuri agreed, “but also because he believes in second chances. And from what I’ve seen so far, you of all people deserve this second chance.”

For the next few minutes, neither Bucky nor Shuri said a word, and while the princess was preparing the tablet for taking the measures, she felt Bucky’s eyes on her. Which had never happened before, with no one.

“Do you need something, James?”

“What…,” he began, only to realize that he had a bite from a fruit in his mouth as well, so Bucky swallowed it before continuing. “Sorry. What is that?” He pointed at the tablet.

“This?” Shuri held it up to confirm they were talking about the same thing. Bucky gave her a nod. “This is a computer.” She scooted closer with her chair, eager to share some of her wisdom and knowledge with someone.

“The last computer I saw had a separate monitor,” Bucky added.

“Yeah, these still exist, quite a lot actually, but these babies,” she tapped the screen, “are the next generation of computers. You can carry them with you, wherever you go. And you can use them for whatever you wanna do. Mine, for example, has some of my engineering software on it, so I can work on projects even when I’m not in my lab. My mother, for example, uses it to read books and magazines from all over the world; my brother to keep up with everything that goes on in politics and diplomacy.”

“You’re an engineer?” Bucky asked with his eyes going wide.

“Yup,” Shuri agreed, fully knowing that before the war, Bucky also had dreams of becoming one.

“I’m not quite sure if it’s a real memory or not, but I think that once upon a time, I also wanted to become an engineer,” Bucky mused, a hint of uncertainty lacing his voice. “Maybe you can remind me to ask Steve when he’s coming back.”

“I probably could do that, or we give him a call right now, with this one here.” Shuri held up the second tablet. “I can’t promise that it will work, since I have no idea where he is or what he’s doing right now…”

“...but it would be worth a shot, right?” Bucky continued, the corners of his mouth momentarily going up. “Hold on - you can use this computer as a telephone as well?”

“Yeah. Sure, it’s different to dialing a number on a keyboard, but the result is quite the same. Do you want me to show how to do it? That way, you don’t have to wait until Captain Rogers has time to come here again.”

“Yeah, that… that would be nice, Your Highness,” Bucky gave back, his cheeks turning an adorable light shade of pink.

“Oh, shush,” Shuri fired back with a wide smile, “you know you don’t have to call me that. ‘Shuri’ is efficient enough.”

*********************

Not even a week later, Shuri was back in the room, on Bucky’s request. Captain Rogers was there, as well, along with her brother, and Okoye. But contrary to the others in the room, Shuri already knew what Bucky wanted to tell them.

Captain Rogers’ initial reaction was pretty much predictable, and once again, Shuri understood it completely. If T’Challa would tell her that the only temporary solution to the problem was him going back into cryo, she also would fight him, would try to talk him down from this proverbial ledge.

But this wasn’t about her, or her brother. No, this was about a man who was done with having others decide for him, and who only asked for them to support him, unconditionally, especially the man he considered a brother.

“Captain Rogers,” Shuri began, “I understand what you’re going through right now, but believe me that I fully support Bucky’s suggestion, from both a scientific and human POV. To you, being in cryo probably sounds awful, and given the information I got from my brother about the Russian techniques, it most likely is, but this is Wakanda. And we not only have a completely different approach to the whole subject, I also can assure you that Bucky will not only be in the best hands all the time,” she saw T’Challa smiling in the corner of her eyes, “but also that he won’t be in any pain at any point of it. Besides, the very moment we have a working method to rid him of the programming, we’re gonna defrost him, again as gently as possible.”

“And you’re gonna be there, right?” Steve asked, his blue eyes full of worry.

“No place I’d rather be, Captain,” Shuri replied. “And as soon as I know that we have succeeded, I’ll give you a call.”

*********************

Though when the next day came, and with it Bucky going back into cryo, Shuri wasn’t so sure about her promises.

Captain Rogers was a mess, and despite it being his idea, Bucky wasn’t faring any better. T’Challa, fully knowing about the mind’s state of both men, came and took Steve for a morning run, followed by a breakfast. Besides, the king told Steve with a smile, he had some new info for him.

“Hey, Soldier,” Shuri called out when she entered the room, a different one now, right next to the lab where scientists and technicians were putting the last touches to the glass tube that was going to be Bucky’s “home” for the foreseeable future.

“Hey, Princess,” Bucky gave back, the accompanying smile not even close to reaching his eyes.

“You’re okay?” Shuri asked while sitting down next to Bucky on the bed.

“Would you believe me when I say I am?”

“No, not at all,” Shuri answered while grabbing Bucky’s flesh hand, “and I wouldn’t expect you to be okay.” Bucky gave her a look. “This is a huge thing that’s gonna happen in a bit, so you’re bound to be NOT okay.” She let out a frustrated sigh. “Why can’t I explain it better?”

Bucky let go of her hand, only to wrap the same arm around her shoulders, tucking her under his chin.

“I got the message, Princess,” he finally said, whatever was left of his Brooklyn accent prominent in his voice.

“I know, my team and I already told you that, but we will find a way to get your mind rid of that programming,...”

“You did, more than once,” Bucky cut in with a chuckle.

“...yeah, and once we have managed that, and we’re sure that there’s no lingering surprise waiting inside that head of yours,” Shuri continued while sitting up and bumping their shoulders, “I want you to tell me everything you remember.”

“Even the bad things?”

“Everything, and especially the bad things. I mean, all my knowledge come either from books or online sources. Which is fine with me, but I really want to hear about the things real people go through.”

“Then you have made yourself a deal, Your Highness,” Bucky replied, just as a nurse came to the doorway and told them that they were ready to continue.

Hugging him with all her might, Shuri pressed a light kiss to the top of his forehead before following the nurse.

*********************

The End

*********************


End file.
